


A First Step Towards Freedom

by AkiRah



Series: Tributaries Of Strength (Font Of Strength Side Fics) [1]
Category: Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic
Genre: Bonding, Drabble, Fluff, Gen, Post-Black Talon, Removing Vette's Collar, implications of gruesome death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-31
Updated: 2017-08-31
Packaged: 2018-12-22 01:56:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11957277
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AkiRah/pseuds/AkiRah
Summary: After successfully capturing "The General" Fallon and Vette spend the night about The Black Talon and Vette works up the courage to ask her new . . . boss? Boss. To remove her shock collar.





	A First Step Towards Freedom

After all the excitement capturing _The Brentaal Star_ Fallon was shown to a small, private room that had been set aside for her and her “slave.” Vette settled on the small cot that was clearly intended for her but was pleased to see that Fallon _also_ had a cot, just with more pillows and a thicker blanket. 

Fallon eyed the pillows and then tossed the spare to Vette. “Will you be warm enough?”

“This ship seems pretty temperature controlled,” Vette answered automatically, still trying to get used to a sith addressing her like she was a _person_. “It’ll be cold but--” she shrugged. “I’ll live.”

The silence stretched between them. Vette tried to lay on her back and the heavy metal collar made it almost impossible. She groaned and rolled back to sitting. 

“Mm?” 

“So, hey, I’ve been thinking.” Vette gestured to her neck and swallowed, hoping that her big mouth wasn’t going to cash in on some electroshock. 

She reminded herself that she had nothing, or at least very little, to lose. She’d been shocked before and Fallon hadn’t shocked her _yet_. “Maybe you want to take this shock collar off? You know, as a sign of thanks for my hard work on Korriban?”

Fallon blinked and then chuckled. “Of course,” she said in a warm voice, still lined with the edge of the laugh. She beckoned Vette towards her with one long red finger and Vette crouched somewhat awkwardly on the balls of her feet, refusing to _kneel_. Fallon didn’t comment on it, instead taking a small device from one of her pockets and spinning one finger to indicate that Vette should turn around. There was a click and a hiss and the collar came free. “You’ve earned that much at least, Vette. It is not freedom, but it is the first step.”

Vette actually laughed a little. She stood up and stepped quickly away, spinning on one foot so she was facing Fallon and then sat back down on the cot. She rolled her neck and rubbed the sore spots where the metal had sat for too long. “Wow, now I feel stupid for not asking sooner.”

“Sooner and I might not have been willing,” Fallon said, looking at the collar in her lap. “But you’ve proven yourself and you’ve more than earned it. Particularly after that stunt earlier today. Marvelous shot, by the way.” She lifted a hand and a thin metal tool rose out of her belongs and into it. She stuck the end into one of the small metal panels on the inside of the collar and pried it loose, catching it and setting it aside. 

Vette’s curiosity got the better of her. “What are you _doing_?” 

“You’re brave to question the actions of a sith,” Fallon said sternly.

Vette’s blood started to freeze but then Fallon looked up and smiled, her yellow eyes teasing and fond.

“You’re _terrible_ ,” Vette complained. 

“Don’t worry, Vette, your bravery is what I like best about you. That and your exceptionally glib tongue.” She looked back down at what she was doing. “I’m modifying the shock implements.” There was a zap and Fallon shook out her left hand before resuming what she was doing. 

“Don’t worry,” Vette tried to sound nonchalant, instead of terrified. “I’ll try not to give you a reason to slap that thing back on.”

Fallon sighed. “I’m _removing_ the shock, Vette. We’ll want keep the collar itself around in case the disguise is necessary. Darth Baras may question my motives in freeing you so soon. Besides, while you are “mine” no other sith may try and collar you.” Her smile was small as she worked. “Ridiculous really, I would never have tried to keep so wild a thing caged.”

“Thanks . . . I think.”

“You’re quite welcome.”

“So . . . do I want to know why you know how to modify shock collars on the fly?” Vette folded her knees to her chest, heels sitting on the edge of the cot. It was _weird_ to just be in conversation with a sith, but Fallon was acting like there was nothing more natural. 

Was it a trap or was it calculated or had she just been lonely. 

Vette bit the inside of her cheek. Fallon was about a decade older than her. She’d been older than most of the acolytes Vette had seen. 

Maybe she _was_ just lonely. 

“The Dromund Kaas Academy is vicious,” Fallon began to explain, her tone softening with fond nostalgia, “but notably less of a _meat grinder_ than Korriban. The first kill I made was another apprentice who happened to get . . . underfoot.” She summoned a screwdriver and removed a small plexiglass bulb from either side of the collar. “I took two slave collars and doubled the bulbs in one before setting it to the highest setting and slapping the whole thing on him. He died in agony and humiliation. No one knew of a rivalry between us or about my forays into slicing.” She pushed the button on the control rod and gave a small, self-satisfied smile when the contraption didn’t so much as buzz.

Vette cleared her throat and took the collar back. “Just another day in the life of the Empire, huh?”

“More or less.”

“Well, I’m not in prison or collared and we’re in space, so I guess we should . . . uh, what happens now?” She bit the inside of her cheek. 

“We rest. Then we reach Dromund Kaas and continue from there, working our way up through the ranks to the top.” Fallon unpinned her long black hair and began to come it out. “Together.”

“ _What,_ ” Vette almost shouted, confused and a little terrified at the implication of being around long term. The implication, and certainly not _reality_ , of being . . . partners. “Er, well, of course . . . me and my big sister the Sith. Nobody’s going to pick on me at school!” 

Fallon chuckled. 

“Sorry.” Vette apologized. “Let’s just. . . I’ll be asleep, yeah?” 

“Good night, Vette.” Fallon raised a hand and the lights in the room died. 


End file.
